University of Otago biochemistry researchers are continuing a fine trans-Tasman history of scientific connections by making use of the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne in their studies – a roughly football-field sized machine that can create intense beams of light a million times brighter than the sun.

Professor Parry Guilford says seeing an electron microscope photo of a virus perched on the surface of a bacterial cell in his School Certificate Science text book marked the beginning of his interest in medical research.

Professor Parry Guilford, an internationally renowned cancer genetics and biology expert, has been selected as the University’s latest recipient of the Distinguished Research Medal, the University of Otago’s highest distinction.

Nearly $18m in new funding was recently gained by Otago researchers under the Government’s Endeavour Fund, which looks for transformative research initiatives and have strong potential to improve a range of outcomes for New Zealand.

The Prime Minister, Bill English, visited the University on the weekend – meeting and greeting proud graduands at the brunch in the Link area, and also visiting the Department of Biochemistry to chat with staff and students active in the new Genomics Aotearoa platform.

An alumnus of the Otago Department of Biochemistry, Professor Rob Knight, has been jointly awarded the 2017 Massry Prize for his research into microbiomes - the microorganisms that live on and inside us.

Dr Bryony Telford was given an Otago Daily Times Class Act award while at South Otago High School, she studied Biochemistry at Otago, doing her PhD in the Cancer Genetics Laboratory with Professor Parry Guilford. The Otago Daily Times ran a profile of Bryony on Saturday 5th August.

A five-year programme to examine ways of reducing the burden of stomach cancer in New Zealand has received support in the latest Health Research Council (HRC) funding round announced last week, along with 18 other Otago projects.

Dr. Wayne Patrick is the winner of the New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2017 Custom Science Award For Research Excellence. He is giving his award lecture today at the Society's annual conference.

Probing the molecular breakdown of a little-known “killer” lipoprotein, responsible for many cases of heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions, has given University of Otago scientists new insights into how it is metabolised by the body.

Newly identified gene variants contribute to explaining why Māori and Pacific people have the highest rates worldwide of gout, the painful and debilitating arthritic disease, an international collaboration led by University of Otago researchers has found.

Congratulations are in order for Ben Peters, a PhD student in Lynette Brownfield's laboratory. Ben has won the NZSPB (New Zealand Society for Plant Biology) Michael McManus Award for Best Student Paper for 2017.

Professor Kurt Krause features in the Listener magazine article "Antibiotic Emergency" by Sally Blundell and the NZ Medical Journal recommends establishing a national response plan to address a "clear and present danger" to antimicrobial resistance.

New light on a key factor involved in diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, gastric cancer and melanoma has been cast through latest University of Otago research carried out in collaboration with Australian scientists.